3 player battles to watch out for in IND vs NZ 3rd T20I

The entertaining T20I series between India and New Zealand is set for a wonderful climax at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 1. The two teams will lock horns, with the winner taking the series 2-1.

The first two games took place on tracks that were spin-friendly. Captain Hardik Pandya was pretty vocal, particularly about how the pitch in Lucknow wasn't a typical T20 wicket. It will be interesting to see the kind of pitch that's dished out in Ahmedabad after such feedback from the hosts.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will know they will need to win most of the individual match-ups to clinch the series. They will also take heart from the fact that India had to bat 19.5 overs to chase a target of just 100 in the last game, though their own batting is a cause for concern.

On that note, let's take a look at three match-ups that could define the course of the series decider in Ahmedabad:

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#3 Devon Conway vs Washington Sundar

Finn Allen's inconsistency at the top of the order has made Devon Conway's role of paramount importance to the Kiwis. The southpaw scored a classic half-century in the first game on a tough surface and that paved the way for New Zealand's comprehensive win.

However, Washington Sundar's accuracy in the powerplay got the better of Conway in the second T20I. The opener tried to reverse-sweep Sundar, but the off-spinner gave him no room to work with and he gloved an easy catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.

Sundar has also conceded just 18 runs in 18 balls while bowling to Conway in T20Is and has also dismissed the New Zealand star twice. This will certainly be an interesting match-up in the powerplay once again.

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#2 Daryl Mitchell vs Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav's dream delivery to Daryl Mitchell in the second T20I is still being talked about by fans. The left-arm wrist-spinner has almost made it a habit to find the gap between the batter's bat and pad to rattle the stumps.

Mitchell won the Player of the Match award in the first T20I due to his impactful fifty and is a real threat in the visitors' lower middle-order. However, he has often tried to read spinners off the pitch, which has led to him looking suspect on turning tracks.

The Kiwi has scored just 14 runs off 29 balls against Kuldeep in international cricket, getting dismissed twice. The latter will feel confident about getting the better of Mitchell again, but one shouldn't rule out a possible counter-attack from the New Zealand batter.

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#1 Hardik Pandya vs Ish Sodhi

India's stand-in T20I captain Hardik Pandya hasn't quite been at his best with the bat in hand since his stunning knock in the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal. In five T20I innings this year, Hardik has scored just 81 runs at a low strike rate of 97.59.

The all-rounder will need to step up in Ahmedabad in the crucial decider and will also need to get the better of his match-up against leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. In T20Is, Pandya has scored just 26 runs from 34 balls off Sodhi and has been dismissed thrice.

Sodhi will know that he has an edge over the Indian captain and will look to put more pressure on him in Ahmedabad.